Originally Posted by
SpazSinbad
Poor old spaz thot TACAN (Mk.1) was magic. Aboard HMAS Melbourne It was the FIRST installation in Australia. Being earlier a Vampire/Sea Venom pilot, ADF was our only beacon ashore. "I knew where I was at all times because I knew where I WASN'T" :-) IF TACAN (also installed at NAS Nowra by the time I got there beginning of 1969) was not working onboard then the magnificent & reliable radars & directors did the trick backed up by our mental NAV one would hope. :-) Then TACAN was not that of later versions and not used for approaches. Night carrier approaches were via CCA to one NM using a SEA VENOM [NOPE - old Brit Carrier first CCAs used 'em] radar mounted up high aft onboard 'the warb/war canoe' then visual via the mirror.
Ground Controlled Approach (GCA) the forerunner to a Pilot Precision Approach - SQNLDR Jim Males AM RAAF (Rtd)
2022
https://issuu.com/slipstream2/docs/slipstream_mar_2022
"...HMAS Melbourne had a ship-based version,
SPN-35, [installed during the refit to enable A4Gs & S2s ops c.1967] and many old RAN controllers will fondly remember conducting a 'carrier-controlled approach' (CCA in lieu of GCA). The SPN-35 was similar to the FPN-36 but had a gyro stabilised antenna group because of ship motion. Talk down commenced as the ship was turning into wind, the final heading for aircraft recovery. It was not uncommon for naval aviators to be given large heading corrections with the ship turning up to 90 degrees to port or starboard; "commence descent and turn left 40 deg” etc. The philosophy was that we were training for war and aircraft were more expendable than the carrier so the ship spent minimal time vulnerable while tracking into wind...."
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“...Upon her return to Sydney [22 Nov 1967], Melbourne commenced preparations for a major refit and modernisation, conducted at Garden Island Dockyard, to enable her to operate her new aircraft. She remained alongside in Sydney until February 1969. The refit included a communications upgrade and a new radar suite, consisting of both Dutch and American radars. The British Type 293 surface search set was retained and an LW-02 air-surveillance radar was installed over the bridge. Abaft the funnel, an
SPN-35 carrier-controlled approach radar was mounted within a dome, and on the lattice mast a new tactical air navigation (TACAN) aerial and electronic countermeasures (ECM) pods were mounted....”
https://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-melbourne-ii